Mt. Marathon Race Course

Race - Jul 7, 2021

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This killer course isn't one to take lightly. One of the major races held in Seward, Alaska every year, this is a tough slog to the top, followed by a fast and furious descent.

This is the second oldest race in the U.S. behind the Boston Marathon. The course is run daily and the official race occurs on the 4th of July every year to first 500 adults and 100 kids who enter.

There are many local legends as to how this trail came into being. Some say that it was the result of many hours spent pondering whether the route could be completed in under an hour, others claim it was the result of a bet between two overzealous runners on who was faster.

After that first fateful footrace, a race has been hosted annually ever since. Now, the race begins downtown, at Fourth and Adams, in front of the First National Bank Alaska, and ends a block south of where it began, at Fourth and Washington. The halfway point is a stone marker atop Mount Marathon, 3022 feet (921 m) above sea level, and a mile and a half from the finish line.

The total race course distance is about 3.1 miles (5 kilometers). Leading racers will typically reach the peak from the starting line in 30 minutes, and reach the finish line from the peak in 1015 minutes for a total time between 40 minutes to an hour. It is not uncommon for the racers who finish to cross the finish line injured or bleeding and covered in mud. This is not a course to take lightly!

Especially on race day, there is little fauna to be seen. After passing through a stunted forest, you'll encounter mostly mountain grasses and mud.